rondo
by librikolibri
Summary: they go round and round in everchanging circles - for nalu week 2016
1. longing

**rondo**

 **chapter 1**

 **prompt:** longing (day 1)

 **note1:** semi-au after the alvarez war

 **note2:** happy nalu week everyone!

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"You have everything?"

She nods quietly and thinks that this is wrong, so very wrong. She's not supposed to be the one leaving, not after everything, not when they've just gotten their calm days back.

 _But she's made a promise._

"I'll go then."

She's a hypocrite, she thinks, crying when he leaves and leaving herself. She takes a step back, but Natsu's hand stops her, keeping her there.

"I'm gonna ask you out. When you come back. So – come home soon, alright?"

Her heart thumps painfully loud, she's sure he can hear, and she hugs him so hard she can barely breathe. Natsu hisses and she backs off immediately. "Stupid cast …"

She smiles, just a bit teary-eyed. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

And that bright _bright_ grin breaks out on his face and Lucy thinks she's going to miss this the most. She stands up, slowly, then leans back down to him.

"And I'm going to say yes. So don't you dare bail out, Natsu."

She sees his cheeks turn just the slightest shade darker and hers do, too, before she steps out of the door.

She has someone to come home to. She won't keep him waiting for too long.

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Lucy sleeps under the dark skies, bright dots of light mapping out the constellations.

She looks at Aquarius and remembers her promise to find her. It gives her determination to find her oldest friend.

But her eyes constantly draw away from the water bearer and she looks at Draco and thinks of Natsu and his warmth and she can't help but think about him more than anything else.

She didn't think she'd miss him this much.

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The more rumours there are about a golden key, the more she dreams of home and a blue flying cat and Natsu. She can see his ridiculous antics, his pout over his broken arm, him and Happy invading her room once again, causing trouble for everyone around them and getting into ridiculous fights.

But in the deepest part of the night, she dreams of slow days at home, laughter and Natsu holding her close as they go to sleep.

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When she finds Aquarius, it's in the most anticlimatic way possible, her stumbling over the key by accident, not really being able to believe that this is it before she calls the spirit and gets washed away for taking so long.

But instead of being irritated, she smiles so hard it hurts, because it's been so long and it's so, so nostalgic. She's just glad she doesn't cry, but she's near it, holding the key in her hand tightly. Aquarius pats her on the head, muttering "stupid girl" affectionately under her breath.

It opens the floodgates and Lucy throws her arms around her friend and sobs, ugly and raw and with snot coming out of her nose.

"Quit crying like that or you'll never get a boyfriend."

And Lucy laughs under her tears, because she's already got one (sort of), and a stab of longing for an entirely different person fills her.

She stays like that until Aquarius softly pushes her back and reminds her that her powers are running out. Lucy lets the spirit go and when she disappears in tiny golden sparks, she wipes her tears away.

It's time to go home.

(she's missed the doofus enough already)


	2. reunion

**rondo**

 **chapter 2**

 **prompt:** reunion (day 2)

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Not having Lucy there, Natsu decides after a day and a half, is kind of boring. Especially when there's nothing to distract him, like training or fighting – which is not a good idea to do with a cast and a broken arm, even he knows that much – or even just bugging everyone else, because they're still busy rebuilding the guild hall. _Again_.

So he goes fishing with Happy and tries to annoy the hell out of Gray without Erza noticing (which is harder than it seems. he swears she's got some kind of alarm that beeps every time they fight).

And if he feels kind of stupid when he climbs into Lucy's home and realizes _she's not there_ , then that's his problem.

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Somehow, snooping through Lucy's drawers isn't as much fun as usual. It's probably because there's no shrieking because she's found them with a paw in her socks and a hand in her bras.

Natsu sulks a bit, then decides that that is just all the more reason to find every last bit of lingerie she's hidden. She can consider it sort of a revenge, he thinks, although he doesn't really know what for.

"Nee, Natsu, when would Lucy even wear this? When she eats fish?"

"Dunno. She's weird like that."

Except he knows in what situation _he'd_ want her to wear the pink lacy number, all alone with him on her bed, cheeks flushed and back bowing.

He has to force the image out of his head.

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Somehow word gets around how he's going to ask Lucy out and that he sort of has already.

"You've finally become a real MAN!"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure he hasn't yet."

"Yeah, like he'd ever get laid."

"Say that to my face, snow queen!"

And he diffuses the whole fuss with the following battle. At least until Mira comes over and asks if he's got something planned and if not, _can she help?_

Which is nice and all, but seriously, he kind of wanted to ask Lucy all by himself.

Fat chance of _that_ happening now.

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As soon as Mira takes over the planning, everyone else joins in, too, and Natsu really has no idea what to do anymore.

He will not give a heartfelt speech and declare her the beacon of his life. That's just stupid. (and she's not a beacon, she's lucy)

There's definitely no serenading of any sort going to be involved. Yeah, right, pfft. Singing is for weaklings. And Gajeel. (and maybe it's okay for lucy to do it, too. under the shower and when she dances like silly)

He's not going to give her a ton of roses. He doesn't even know when she'll get home, is he supposed to just carry them on hand whenever?

He decides he's not going to listen to anyone's advice on this. Except maybe Juvia's. (cause hugging lucy does sound like a good idea)

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When Lucy comes home, she comes jumping into his arms with the widest smile, all keys unbroken on her belt again, and he spins her around for good measure until she's laughing breathlessly and it's _glorious_ and -

"Go out with me, Lucy?"

She says yes with stars sparkling in her eyes.


	3. admiration

**rondo**

 **chapter 3**

 **prompt:** admiration

 **note:** I sort of think it turned more into adoration than admiration ...

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He kisses her the first time on the way home after she hops down from the river ledge, evening light framing her face in reddish orange hues. (he can't get over the thought that _it looks like fire_ and it _suits her_ and really, it's just an impulsive action)

 _Oh,_ she says when he pulls away, cheeks just a little bit brighter than usual and eyes just a little wider.

Then she smiles and brings his face back down to hers.

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He and Lucy don't change, not really. They're just a little bit closer, just a little bit more _them_ , and if Lucy isn't so quick to kick him out, if they've started to kiss and hold hands, then it's because they've been each other's most precious person for a long time now, teetering between the edge of friendship and _more_ for what feels like forever.

And Lucy – for all the things that are different – doesn't change. She's still the same girl that fell under a spell and took his hand in a destroyed harbour.

(and sometimes, he thinks this is why he loves her so much)

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Lucy laughs a lot nowadays.

It's nice, seeing her so happy and _shining_ after everything that's happened. And Natsu supposes that's what happens when the slow days return after a hard time.

But - just a little - he wonders if it's because of him, too.

(he hopes it is)

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Lucy is a monster, Natsu is sure of that. A monster with big eyes and smooth legs and generous bust and wide smile that may or may not be trying to seduce him. He's not quite sure.

But he can't look away when she stretches after a long train ride anymore, can't keep himself from thinking what those legs of hers would feel like wrapped around him whenever he sees her using her Lucy Kick.

He feels weird.

And she knows, she _has_ to know what she's doing to him, with that smile and those eyes and always, _always_ giving him generous amounts of eye candy. The sort that is not accomplished by anything other than consciously creating it with deliberate moves of hands and hips and -

"Natsu, do you want to go eat somewhere?" And the way she's leaning over him, golden hair falling around her, eyes bright in the shadows of her face, makes him snap.

"I want to sleep with you" he blurts out stupidly, bluntly, and there are red _red_ flames on Lucy's cheeks.

They never do make it to lunch that day.

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Lucy's bed is a lot nicer when he's allowed in it.

There's something about the way she smiles at him in the morning, tired and half-asleep and happy, drawing closer and complaining that his hair tickles. And he pouts and peppers her face with kisses until she is giggling so hard she almost falls off the bed and it's these stolen moments he loves the most.

But the best part is the falling asleep, holding Lucy close while she mutters something between _night_ and _love you._


	4. secrets

**rondo**

 **chapter 4**

 **prompt:** secrets (day 4)

 **note:** I did it again … this time you'd think that the prompt is 'weird' instead of secrets

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Natsu is weird.

Lucy knows this all too well, destroyed buildings and no idea what privacy is and impossible faith far away from anything normal defining the person she loves most. She sometimes wonders why _he's_ the one calling _her_ a weirdo and only ever arrives to the conclusion that he's not used to normal, not after a childhood in a guild whose members are a case of crazies on their own.

(and if that train of thought leads her to think about how they might possibly be each other's weirdo, then that is so not the point)

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He's been acting stranger than usual.

She should know, by now she's very much familiar with his kind of normal and this – no matter how you look at it – isn't it. (except that it is, in a very roundabout way)

"Natsu. Is there something you're not telling me?"

He turns to her with an unreadable expression (which looks both dumb and incredibly adorable to her. she wonders if that's the sort of face he makes when he's caught with a hand in the cookie jar).

"Nope."

She skeptically, begrudgingly lets it go. Don't ask her why. She's obviously crazy. (though being able to find an expression both dumb and adorable should have clued you in on that)

"Ne, Natsu, isn't it sort of cute that she actually believed that?"

"Right? She's so gullible, isn't she, Happy?"

She looks at the two of them like they've grown a third eye and some extra limbs, tired and not even wanting to know what any of this is about anymore, but thinking that _this_ , this right here, is what normal looks like.

"You do know that I can hear you, right?"

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Lucy knows something's been up, but when she wakes up one morning and he's not there, it's just a tad suspicious.

It's not like he absolutely has to wait for her to wake up or something, but it's what he usually does when he wakes up first, partly because he doesn't want to leave her bed and partly because – apparently – she looks weird when she sleeps. (she really has to wonder if that's an insult or if it's just his version of cute)

She goes to the guild a little bit later, orders a big hot chocolate from Mira and sulks (no, it's not at all childish. not in the slightest). Natsu isn't there. She wonders what he's doing and really, _really_ hopes it doesn't involve property damage. Someone taps her on the shoulder. She turns around and it's Juvia, giving her a conspiratorial wink and leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"It's a surprise for you. At least that's what he said. So you should cheer up, alright?"

Then she skips away to Gray, looking satisfied with herself, almost like she's done her good deed for the day. And maybe – _maybe_ she has. Because Lucy feels her chest get lighter with the disappearance of insecurities and _so he wasn't avoiding her_ (which is a stupid fear anyway, considering that it's Natsu and that's not something he would do) and it's almost laughable how giddy she feels that night when he comes home, sneaking in almost as if he doesn't want to get caught.

The look on his face when she pulls him face first into bed with her is absolutely hilarious.

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Lucy's curiosity about this supposed surprise is finally sated one sunny afternoon when Natsu throws her over his shoulder like a wet sack of potatoes and proceeds to carry her to hell knows where. She's really hoping her panties are covered. Even if that does mean that Natsu's hand is very firmly set on her backside. (and to be honest, it's not all that bad)

"You gotta close your eyes, Lucy!"

And it seems they're getting close, so she does as he asks, smiling all the while through it. There is a little more jostling around before Natsu comes to a halt and slowly lowers her to the ground. She opens her eyes – and it's the most beautiful sight she has ever seen, a clearing with lush green trees and a picnic blanket and basket right in the middle of it.

(and if this is what he gets up to when he wants to surprise her, then she is certainly the luckiest girl in the world – she definitely feels like it)

The rest of the day is a mess of food and limbs and laughter and rolling around in the grass, half tickle fights and half hot-blooded making out that leaves little green spots on Lucy's dress and red marks on her neck.

When it's evening, they lie on the blanket facing the stars, spent and satisfied and smiling. Lucy points out the constellations to Natsu, giggles when he swings a fist at the lion in the Leo's stars for always hitting on _his girl_ , takes his hand when she tells him about Draco.

It's almost like a sign, a dragon in the galaxies, keeping watch over them. And Lucy takes it as one.

"Hey, Natsu – do you want to get married?"

She's not even sure what she's doing, because certainly she is much too young for this, too inexperienced, too unknowledgeable to attempt anything close to a lifelong union. But Natsu, Natsu is throwing his head back in loud, boisterous laughter, all of his teeth showing.

"I wanted to be the one to ask that, you know."

– and everything makes sense.


	5. struggle

**rondo**

 **chapter 5**

 **prompt:** struggle (day 5)

 **note:** those were meant to be short, but they somehow keep getting longer

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Preparing a wedding is hard. Doing so while a rambunctious guild feels it has the need to add its personal flair to everything and anything makes it infinitely harder. Lucy is learning this from painful experience.

It's three days in and she already just wants to throw the towel. Except she also _really_ wants to walk down the aisle in a white dress, her very favourite idiot waiting for her at the altar. And she wants to bawl out her eyes when she's doing it. Either that or smile like a madman. It's, like, a little girl's ultimate fantasy.

And so when there's another set of things to plan, when there's yet another fight over whose advice is the best, Lucy endures. It's kind of nice to see them all that excited anyway.

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As soon as the media finds out, all hell breaks loose.

And really, it was just a matter of time, especially since Fairy Tail hasn't exactly been quiet about it and Lucy and Natsu may or may not have been secret newscandy for a _long_ time now. Combine that with a reporter who is as much obsessed with Fairy Tail as he is over the top, and you end up with the situation at hand.

"You should have told me, now that other newspaper is gonna get to the article first! So cool!"

She really has no clue if Jason is scolding her, because as a former newspaper intern she should know the importance of stories like this, or just plain freaking out. (but knowing jason, it's probably a lot more of the latter)

"And here comes the man of the hour. How did you propose, Natsu? The public wants to know!"

And if course, Natsu doesn't get what he's done when he tells him _I didn't, Lucy did_ and Lucy has the strangest urge to both strangle him and drag him off into a corner to make out when Jason starts furiously scribbling on his notebook, muttering _cool, cool_ under his breath like a mantra.

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There's been guild brawls right and left ever since the dreaded question of bride of honour and best man came up.

She's kind if surprised at the level of bloodlust there is in those fights, but even if she wants them to stop, neither she nor Natsu harbour an immediate death wish. They'll tell them that they've already chosen soon, just – not now (although it's never been a question that Happy will get to be the best man, and no matter how much she loves Levy, this one has to go to Erza – even when it's really only by a small margin).

So when the question comes up again, combined with flying fists and magic circles, she and Natsu exchange secretive smiles and _we know something you don't know_ – until he decides to join the fray, that is.

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She should have expected this to happen.

They're at the local bakery to sample cakes and in the background, they can just so see Erza fade into the scenery. She's definitely spying to see if it's going to be strawberry shortcake and it irks Lucy just a little. (it's still _her_ wedding after all)

The baker is very patient with the duo, taking the time to explain what each and every cake is made of, even though Lucy sometimes catches his eyes nervously darting towards a certain head of red hair. And he stays very calm when she asks him to do a truly giant cake, because between Natsu's appetite and the rest of the guild, it's not going to last (and also because she kind of wants a really huge wedding cake, sue her).

For all the riches of her youth, the cakes taste like absolute heaven to a girl who's always struggling with rent and other than Natsu, who has eaten his share of samples in a blink and declares that _they're all great_ and leaves it at that, she can't choose between all the options. She does notice that there's been no strawberries at all in any of the cakes – which is probably the reason for the downtrodden figure with the fiery hair walking home dejectedly.

"I don't know which ones to pick …"

"Let's just get all of them! The cake's gonna be huge anyway." He says it with that sort of childlike enthusiasm that doesn't fail to make her feel warm. She looks at the assortment of sugary goodness, then nods.

"All of them it is then!"

They place their order and Natsu takes one of the remaining samples in his hand, thoughtfully, then grins. The same grin he wears when he's about to cause mayhem again. She realizes his plans about two seconds too late, the cake already in the air and flying right towards her. She can't dodge it.

"Natsu!"

The baker hurries out of the room when the two of them begin a cake war, messy and sticky and incredibly _fun_ , but neither really cares as they both laugh until their stomachs hurt, eyes bright and hair full of frosting.

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Lucy comes home spent.

Wedding dress shopping is a new kind of hell, she is sure of that. But the beautiful white number makes it at least worth it – sort of. She groans as she sets down the bag and digs her thumb into the kinks in her neck.

"I'm home." It feels incredibly good to say this and her mood lightens when she sees Natsu waiting for her at the table.

"You found a dress! I wanna see!" And it's so not the first thing she wanted to hear.

"You can't!"

Natsu watches her wordlessly, beginnings of a pout at the corners if his mouth. Then there's a soft rustling sound behind her.

"Ooh, it looks good. Natsu, look, look, it's so white!"

"You damn cat! Put that down!" Because of course it's Happy. Who else. And now Natsu is seeing the dress and it wasn't supposed to happen this way and can't he ever wait for _anything_? This stupid, boneheaded moron!

"Looks good."

And Natsu seems to like it. Well. (she admits defeat. he's found her weak spot, flattery will get him anywhere). Lucy sulks for just a moment longer. "I wanted to surprise you at the wedding and make you cry because I'm so beautiful."

Natsu laughs. "That's stupid." And before she can get in his face about it, upset because _why is he laughing_ and _she is totally beautiful enough to make him shed a few man-tears_ , he adds a "Cause I'm gonna smile so much my cheeks hurt." and she is once again reminded of just why she loves him so much.

She leans against him, arms trapping him to her, nose buried in his neck, a happy feeling bubbling up in her chest.

"That better be a promise."


	6. climax

**rondo**

 **chapter 6**

 **prompt:** climax (day 6)

 **note** **:** I'm … not quite happy with this one

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The day before her wedding, all of the girls take her out to the nearest bar, because apparently, a hungover is just the thing she needs for her big day. She has the suspicion that this was Cana's idea.

Her bridesmaids end up much more wasted than she is and Lucy has to admit, it's kind of fun seeing Juvia and Levy dance like crazy, two blue heads bopping up and down. Erza challenges Cana to a drinking contest and falls asleep on the table after the first three rounds while Mira sits next to her sister, empty glasses piling up beside her one at a time. It's probably good that Wendy isn't here, because alcohol and Fairy Tail women don't mix. Or maybe it's that they mix extremely well, drunken stupor complimenting rowdiness perfectly.

Sometime well into the evening – Lucy doesn't know when exactly – the men half walk, half stumble their way in, all the while cheering and giving Natsu pats on the back. It seems as if this isn't the first bar they've paid a visit to.

"Hiya, Lucy!"

Natsu spots them first, waving enthusiastically. The girls however are much less pleased.

"This is our bar, you jerks!" Comes a cry from an inebriated Cana, drunken slurs from Levy and a flushed nod from a somewhat more in-control Lisanna spurring her on.

They end up spending their last day not being married together, sitting at the bar holding hands while their friends make the bar experience the sort of mayhem that wouldn't normally be found outside of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

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Her big day opens right up with voices over her head, saying _rise and shine_. She burrows deeper into Natsu's chest, trying to down out the sounds, but they drag her out of bed by her feet and carry the half-asleep Lucy and her dress to Fairy Hills.

She does have to admit that she looks really nice when they're through with her, Cancer snipping away the split ends of her hair. (and, if she's really honest, she looks more than just nice – it's like she's a princess straight out of a storybook)

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She feels incredibly nervous as she walks down the aisle in Magnolia's small church, wondering if she'll trip and make a fool out of herself. There is no one there for her hands to grasp for.

But then there's her guildmates not so discreetly giving her a thumbs up and at the other end, there is Natsu, a huge grin on his face.

This is it, the writer in her says, the grand climax. But as she takes those last few steps, she can't help but think that it's more of a beginning.


End file.
